I am new to the Ham world and wish to use my iPhone 5´s iSDR app and your FUNcubeDongle Pro +. Is that at all possible? If so how does one connect them together? Do I need any other components other than an antenna to use the Dongle with my iMac as well?

There are a couple of issues with iOS to deal with here. First, iOS limits current to about 20mA with the camera connection kit, so you’d need to use an external powered hub to support the 160mA that the FCD+ requires. Second, you would need to have something to communicate to the USB HID interface to control the frequency. Third, iOS does not support USB audio at 192kHz. I do have a special version of firmware I’ve been working on that does work at a supported iOS 48kHz rate, however without a USB HID interface it’s of little use currently.

I am currently working on figuring out if USB HID is workable without having to deal with Apple’s MFi program: I have already had dealing with Apple regarding MFi and to be honest if it can possibly be avoided, do so. Bear in mind that Apple are notoriously difficult in allowing apps that use APIs that are part of NDAs such as MFi.

I’m also working on something else that I think will be far more useful in the longer term.

At the moment we’re going through a short waiting list, it’s only about two or three days long at the moment, so register your interest by adding yourself on the waiting list here https://funcubedongle.3dcartstores.com/FUNcube-Dongle-Pro_p_8.html and we’ll email you back shortly after confirming your place on the waiting list, and then again when they’re available.

There may be others, the FCD and FCD+ appear to any OS as a standard USB Audio and HID device. Any software that will take a soundcard SDR device will work, and it they don’t specifically support the FCD/FCD+ HID interface you can use the QTHID 4.1 program to do that for you (http://sourceforge.net/projects/qthid/files/4.1/)

It’s no secret that Windows has the greatest and most mature selection of software options when compared to Linux or OSX, but recent developments for OSX such as with DSP Radio and SDRDx shows that OSX is catching up.